Lewisham’s Green councillor Darren Johnson warned today of grave consequences to local authority cuts, after councillors voted on Mayor Steve Bullock’s budget proposals at a meeting this week.
As part of a package of measures designed to slash millions from council spending for 2011/12, Labour councillors voted for the closure of an Early Years Centre in New Cross, the closure of several libraries, and the axing of the Connexions jobs advice service.
Darren Johnson for the Greens voted against, along with the borough’s LibDem councillors, while the Conservatives abstained.
Echoing the concerns of service users across the borough, Cllr Johnson pointed to the dire effects that such cuts could have on families, and particularly on young people.
He said: "We’ve already had one devastating round of cuts. Closing of the Amersham Early Years Centre in New Cross, axing libraries and withdrawing funding from Connexions will do further harm to the prospects of children and young people in a borough which already has one of the highest rates of youth unemployment in the country."
"I hate the way this Government is slashing funding. But I just don’t think the Mayor and Labour councillors are putting enough effort into finding savings that don’t harm services."
"This latest round of cuts will sow the seeds for years of deprivation and unemployment."
Rather than cutting vital services, Lewisham Greens want to see the Council working much harder to make savings first in other areas, such as:
– cutting senior pay for top council executives
– reducing the £5.3 million spent annually on expensive private sector consultants
– cutting down on glossy PR and council spin
– reducing council fuel bills by making our schools, libraries and other buildings more energy efficient
– working more closely with other public sector bodies to cut administration costs
– scrapping the Mayor’s chauffeur-driven car
– ensuring council reserves are kept at the bare minimum and using some of the reserves to invest in projects that will produce savings in later years.
Cllr Johnson added: "Making the council greener could actually be a way of bringing in extra cash. A recent report showed that councils could earn significant sums by becoming suppliers of renewable energy. Installing solar panels on public buildings and housing stock could generate millions of pounds in revenue for local authorities, as well as helping the environment."